Maravi

FRA extends maize marketing season

FRA extends maize marketing season
By Florence Bupe in Isoka
Sun 01 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

THE Food Reserve Agency has extended the maize marketing season to November 14, 2009. FRA executive director Dr Anthony Mwanaumo has said this follows field visits and reports that have revealed that some small-scale farmers have maize to sell to the agency. The maize marketing season was supposed to end today.

Dr Mwanaumo has since urged farmers to take advantage of the extension and deliver their produce to buying deports.

And irate causal workers at the FRA maize deport in Nakonde on Thursday disrupted a tour by the agency officials demanding to be paid their dues amounting to K19 million.

But Dr Mwanaumo assured the workers that their money would be released and paid out on Friday this week.

The workers who are in charge of offloading and staking maize grain at the district main deport at Mwenzo stormed the premises after word went round that Dr Mwanaumo and FRA officials where in the area to monitor the crop marketing exercise.
Speaking on behalf of the causal workers Moses Simwanza said FRA owed 22 workers in his staking group a total of K19 million for work carried out for the month ending October.

Simwanza said apart from helping out at the deport, most of the workers were engaged in farming and that they would be affected because they would not be able to have farming inputs.
But Dr Mwanaumo said hiccups caused the delay.

"We are committing ourselves to paying the whole outstanding amount by Friday. It is not our wish to hold on to your money because you have already worked for it," said Dr Mwanaumo.

And Kasama district commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Chanda has urged small-scale farmers to adopt agriculture as a business for improved livelihoods.

Speaking when Dr Mwanaumo who was in the province to monitor the this year's crop marketing exercise, Lt Col Chanda said the only way farmers in the district could sustain themselves and improve their living standards was through agriculture.

"Farmers are slowly realising the importance of agriculture and adopting the practice as a business and it is vital for FRA to increase its participation through higher purchases. This province is disadvantaged in terms of location and so, private sector participation is minimal," he said.
Lt Col Chanda also called on government to assist farmers enhance their productivity by increasing the input support.

"Government attention should shift to this region. We need increased input and extension support if we are to boost productivity further," he said.

Lt Col Chanda said the farmers in the region had also realised the importance of agriculture diversification and were beginning to practice animal husbandry.

He noted that the livestock sector in Northern Province had for a long time been undeveloped, but said this was changing with exposure.

FRA has so far bought 109,203 by 50 kilogramme bags of maize valued at K7 billion from small-scale farmers in the district, above the target of 103,756 by 50 kilogramme bags.

And Dr Mwanaumo disclosed that discussions were ongoing under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to try and find ways of boosting purchases in outlying areas such as the Northern Province.

Meanwhile, Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) regional manager Moses Mawere has urged FRA to prioritise the northern bloc and increase resource allocation in its planning.

"As you do your planning, you should be mindful of outlying areas like the Northern Province and buy more produce from the region," said Mawere.

Labels: ANTHONY MWANAUMO, FRA, MAIZE

posted by MrK @ 6:27 AM